Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 2/26/2010

Question
Hello,
Yes, I saw your answer a bit ago but my question and pain is slightly different. For about a week or so, I have had pain in my right big toe joint. The best way to describe it is that it feels like it is on fire. When I dance en pointe, it does not hurt. It hurts when I go to flat shoes, when I demi in flat shoes (not in pointe shoes, for some odd reason!) and when I am in regular shoes (I wear orthotics, custom-made, as well, in my regular shoes). I dance en pointe about 6 hours a week.

The only change made was going from Gaynor-Minden to Bloch Heritage. I felt, and feel, very secure in the Bloch compared with the Gaynor, but this pain in the toe started right when I had spent a number of hours en pointe in one day (2 hours, then a short break, then another hour).

There is no swelling that I can see. The pain is not on the outside of the big toe but sort of from the inner side, up the top of the foot, and seems to wrap around to the outside of the arch. Massaging between the big and second toe helps relieve the pain. NSAIDs have had little effect - and ice hasn't had much effect either. I have a TENS unit that I use, and that has helped with pain but the pain doesn't stay away.

I am an older dance student and have access to an ultrasound unit if I need it and it's recommended.

Any idea what you think it could be? I'm most worried about a fracture, if you must know, although it doesn't appear to be bad enough to be one (I've broken my toes before, and fully recall how THAT felt!!).

Thanks for any insight. I've ordered a wider Bloch, of the same size, and am being re-fitted for a different shoe which they don't have in at the moment.

Again, thanks for any ideas. What I really want to know, I guess, is if it is normal when switching from one shoe to a radically different one, if this sort of pain is normal and will go away after a time?

Thanks again!
S.

Answer
Hi Sandi. No, this is not typical of changing shoe brands. I recommend that you see a chiropractor who can take an x-ray, or a physiotherapist who can do same. A chiropractor can adjust any misalignments, and that is personally where I would go.

Whichever you choose you need to get a professional diagnosis and treat accordingly.

I wish you all the best with this, Dianne.